Astronomy Question & Answer Hotline

407.514.2050

Got a question of a celestial nature? Give us a call and we will get you an answer!

Astronomy Information Hotline

407.514.2088

Need to know what is going on in the nighttime sky? Call our recorded hotline for the latest sights to see. Updated monthly.

Local Astronomy Group

Interested in joining a local astronomy group? Check out the Central Florida Astronomical Society.

CFAS activities include monthly meetings featuring guest speakers, monthly observing sessions at several sites across Central Florida, publication of a web information site, and public observing sessions when events of significant interest occur. For more information visit their site at www.cfas.org.

Adopt-A-Star

You can Adopt-A-Star in support of our astronomy programs. Orlando Science Center adoptions make unique gifts, great class projects and fun family activities. Adoption packets include personalized certificates, educational material and more.

Discovered in 1986 by Australian astronomer Malcolm Hartley, comet 103P or Hartley 2 is set for the closest encounter with earth in 24 years. This “dirty snowball” that is comprised of rock, dust, ice and frozen gases was visible in the constellation of Auriga as a fuzzy, green blur to Northern Hemisphere observers during Mid-October.

Through November, Southern Hemisphere stargazers can catch a glimpse of the comet as it travels away from earth, using the naked eye, binoculars and of course, a telescope. This year, Hartley 2 made its closest pass at a mere 11 million miles on October 20th and is calculated to orbit the Sun every 6 ½ years. EPOXI, or Extrasolar Planet Observation and Deep Impact Extended Investigation is a spacecraft that is due to make a flyby of Hartley 2 from only 600 miles away on November 4th. The mission plans to gather information on the comet’s surface and craters, as well as close-up images of dust and gas plumes.

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